BADGER GCSE SCIENCE!
Formative Assessment Tasks & WebQuests
GCSE Core Topics
AQA A, AQA B, Edexcel, OCR Gateway and OCR Twenty First Century Specifications
Dr Andrew Chandler-Grevatt &
Dr Mark Evans
You may copy this book freely for use in your school. The pages in this book are
copyright, but copies may be made without fees or prior permission provided that these
copies are used only by the institution which purchased the book. For copying in any
other circumstances, prior written consent must be obtained from the publisher.
I NTRODUCT ION This book is designed to compliment the Badger GCSE Additional Science Formative
Assessment Tasks publication – ISBN 978 1 84926 418 1
After our very popular and successful KS3 Level Assessed Tasks and WebQuests for
APP, we have teamed up again to produce some tasks for the new GCSE 2011.
We are both committed to Assessment for Learning and developing ICT skills of
students. This book contains the traditional Grade Assessed Tasks and three GradeAssessed WebQuests that are designed to promote teaching and learning in these
areas.
To Teachers and Heads of Key Stage/Department
Please take some time to read through the teacher notes before using the tasks.
About the WebQuests
If you have not used WebQuests before, please read the detailed information in this
section.
About the Grade Assessed Formative Assessment Tasks
Note that this edition is different to the previous GCSE Grade Assessed Tasks. Instead
of a generic Grade Ladder we have produced Specification Specific Grade
Ladders. This means that the descriptors and keywords are specific to your exam
board’s requirements.
About the authors
Dr. Andrew Grevatt is an experienced science teacher and an ex-Advanced Skills
Teacher. He is the author of the successful Badger science KS3 Levelled Assessment
Tasks and KS3 Level Assessed Investigations. Recently he was awarded a doctorate
in Science Education and is a teacher educator at the University of Sussex.
Dr Mark Evans is an experienced Head of Science, currently Deputy Head of the City
College Norwich Sixth Form Centre. He is co-author of Badger Publishing’s APP in
Science series and Ideas About Science. Mark is particularly interested in the use of
blended learning approaches to e-learning, practical AfL techniques and strategies for
engagement and active learning.
Disclaimer
All websites referenced in this book were checked at time of publication and found
suitable. However, as websites change and expire frequently, please ensure you check
them yourself before use! Better to be safe than sorry.
2
Introducing the WebQuests
A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all of the information
that learners work with comes from the web (see www.webquest.org).
The model was developed by Bernie Dodge at San Diego State University, who
identifies a ‘real WebQuest’ as:
“being wrapped around a do-able and interesting task that is ideally a scaled
down version of things that adults do as citizens or workers, requiring higher
level thinking, not simply summarising. This includes synthesis, analysis,
problem-solving, creativity and judgment, making good use of the web.”
Pupils are set a Grade Assessed task, and then given a series of websites to visit that
develop knowledge and provide the necessary information to complete the task.
Core paper resources are provided to assist in guiding the student through the task and
producing the required report, etc.
The WebQuests are provided on www.badgerscience.com at two ability levels. An
‘Exam-Buster’ level, aimed at pupils working towards Grade C and a ‘Stretch and
Challenge’ aimed at Grades C and above.
Each Level Assessed WebQuest is accompanied with teacher notes, differentiated
student notes, paper support resources and pupil-friendly grade-ladders.
WebQuests are designed to develop pupil’s abilities in independent research by
providing a specific research focus for each web source that they are directed to.
After completing the internet research aspect of the WebQuest, pupils then apply their
findings to a Grade Assessed Task that synoptically focuses their knowledge within an
open ended activity, guided by a level ladder, that is then assessed using Grade
criteria.
How we use them
Our Grade-Assessed WebQuests can be accessed through the WebQuests button at
www.badgerscience.com.
Experience has shown that pupils benefit from being directed through their first
WebQuest.
The WebQuest process is summarised diagrammatically using pupil work overleaf
3
An ideal delivery sequence for WebQuest ‘newbies’ is:
1. Discussion of the task focussing on the student task notes and the WebQuest
research sheet
2. A display of the links to the WebQuest from www.badgerscience.com (or your
school’s links from within your VLE)
3. Dedicated class work or homework time that requires pupils to research the first
few websites within the WebQuest and collate their findings on their WebQuest
research sheet
4. A follow-up session where pupil experience of their independent research and
their findings are discussed and exemplary examples show-cased
5. Completion of the WebQuest research
6. Application of the research findings to the synoptic grade-assessed task, with
due focus being drawn to the overview for the task on the pupil notes and the
relevant outcomes on the grade ladder
7. Teacher mediated self or peer-assessment of the grade assessed task and
identification of improvement targets
8. Time dedicated to improving the work according to the improvement targets, and
final grading by the pupil
9. Teacher acknowledgement of the final grade.
With experienced pupils we have successfully used WebQuests both as home works
and as whole-class activities within computer rooms. As each grade-assessed
WebQuest has an explicit and well defined process and is designed for independent
study, the internet research component has also proved to be a dependable task for
science cover lessons.
Broken Links
WebQuests are built around the use of internet sources, and WebPages are ephemeral
by nature. If you discover a link that doesn’t work, please email help@badgerscience.com and we’ll replace it with an alternative.
4
W EB Q UESTS :
P ROT OCO L
FOR
U SE Student notes provide guidance on the task and how to access the WebQuest on-line
via www.badgerscience.com, and use the WebQuest research sheet to independently
research specific issues:
Students follow the web links within the WebQuests to specific internet sources and
compile their findings on their research sheet:
Then, using the student sheet and the APP level ladder they complete, self or peer
assess and improve an APP-focussed Level-Assessed Task using their research:
5
Filtering
Schools and LEAs vary enormously in their approach to filtering access to websites.
If you intend to use a WebQuest from within a school, then it is advisable to check all
links in advance from within school in order check that over-zealous filtering is not
black-listing any of the links within the WebQuest.
The black-listing process is automated, and although all links are to benign, safe
websites, the filtering algorithms aren’t too clever and can make mistakes.
Contacting your LEA or internet service provider should swiftly resolve any black-lists
problems. However, if you have a particular request for a modified webpage to be
created in order to fix a particular erroneous case of black-listing, please email details
of the problem to help@badgerscience.com
VLE
RCES
E
C S
LE
RESOU
An introduction
More and more schools have introduced Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) or
“Learning Platforms” to provide pupil access to learning resources. The DfES has
required that all students have access to a VLE since September 2008, and experience
shows that it is lack of resources and pedagogies that are holding up their use within
UK schools.
With the right resources, a VLE can facilitate revision of key ideas, support intervention
through the provision of appropriate resources and assist in formative assessment.
The support and stimulus PowerPoint presentations that accompany resources in this
publication are also provided as SCORM wrapped web pages, allowing easy
integration with all VLEs by you or your friendly network technician!
Grade Assessed Tasks
All of the Grade Assessed Tasks can be made available to your pupils on your school’s
VLE. As each GAT is accompanied with relevant support material, pupils are able to
download and work through the GATs independently. In this manner they can be
delivered electronically as home works, and in addition they can be uploaded
electronically on completion.
Those of you used to using Badger LATs can consider these to be LATs 2.0!
Each Grade Assessed Task is accompanied by digital stimulus materials as well as the
traditional paper stimulus materials. These can be uploaded to your school’s VLE –
either as PowerPoints or as WebPages using the SCORM wrapped versions. Pupils
can then access the support materials online via your schools VLE
6
WebQuests
Purchasers of this resource will need to request a unique password for their school by
emailing password@badgerscience.com. Pupils can access the WebQuests via
buttons at www.badgerscience.com or via specific links on your school’s VLE – as
listed in the table below:
Biology:
Exam-buster level
Stretch & Challenge level
www.badgerscience.com/evolution
www.badgerscience.com/evolution2
Chemistry:
Exam-buster level
Stretch & Challenge level
www.badgerscience.com/oil
www.badgerscience.com/oil2
Physics:
Exam-buster level
Stretch & Challenge level
www.badgerscience.com/bigbang
www.badgerscience.com/bigbang2
The paper support resources that are associated with each WebQuest can be
uploaded to your VLE, although they can be downloaded directly by pupils via links on
the introductory screens on each WebQuest.
Wikis and Blogs
VLEs also offer the ability to set up Wikis or on-line Blogs for students (if that sounds
like double-dutch, just think ‘on-line word processing’ and you won’t be far off!).
Wikis and Blogs offer contemporary, engaging, pupil-friendly mediums through which
students can produce electronic versions of their synoptic tasks, which can then be
peer assessed by the class using computer suites or the interactive whiteboard.
7
I NTRODUCING
T HE
F O RMAT IVE
A SSESSMENT T ASKS Each task is a simple open-ended task that assesses knowledge, understanding and
skills of a significant concept from a GCSE core topic. The tasks should be photocopied
with the task sheet and the grade ladder back-to-back. The grade ladder can be used
by teachers and learners alike to guide their response to the task.
Each task is designed to cover the entire grade range at GCSE. We chose not to split
the task into foundation and higher as many students perform better or worse
depending upon the topic. This was also designed so that foundation students could
see what they need to achieve to work at the higher grade. We have however,
indicated if a statement is higher only with [H] as we have the keywords.
As with all new approaches, learners may need to do a few of these tasks before they get
the full benefit from them. The tasks are very open and, to start with, some learners can
feel overwhelmed by the freedom. They may need a lot of support and encouragement for
the first few, as their confidence grows the learners gain more independence at attempting
the tasks.
General approaches
These tasks are ideal to use either mid-way or towards the end of a topic. Whatever
approach you decide to use, make sure that the tasks are formative. It is important that
these are not used as replacement summative tests. They are designed to encourage
learners to demonstrate what they understand and to have the opportunity to improve.
This is the foundation of formative assessment strategies: Where am I now? What am I
aiming for? How do I get there?
The tasks are designed to give learners the opportunity to show their full potential in
science. To ensure this, I allow the class to use their notes from exercise books, text
books and other secondary sources to help them with the task. I also encourage the
learners to talk with their peers about the task and discuss their ideas. This rarely leads
them to copy each other, but does encourage the development of their ideas and
challenges their misconceptions. Some teachers have tried the test-conditions
approach to the tasks, but find that it stifles the opportunities for learning.
Standard approach
Starter activity (5-10 minutes) to introduce the task. There is a PowerPoint for each
Task. Make sure each learner knows which grade they should be aiming for.
Main activity (30-40 minutes) – learners attempt task. Teacher circulates, encouraging
use of the grade ladder and challenging misconceptions.
Plenary activity (10 minutes) – self or peer-assessment, where grade ladders are used
to decide on grade and improvement targets.
Homework activity – make the improvement, teacher collects and assesses them,
giving one improvement target.
8
G ENERIC
G RADE
L ADDER The grade ladder has been produced from the Grade Descriptors that are in all the
Specifications. We have used this as a starting point for all our Grade Ladders.
To get You should have:
grade
A
• Recall precise knowledge and detailed understanding.
• Select precise knowledge and detailed understanding.
• Communicate precise knowledge and detailed understanding.
• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the nature of science.
• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of laws.
• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of principles and applications.
• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding the relationship between
science and society.
• Understand the relationships between scientific advances, their ethical
implications and the benefits and risks associated with them.
• Use scientific and technical knowledge, terminology and conventions
appropriately and consistently.
• Show a detailed understanding of scale in terms of time, size and space.
• Apply appropriate skills, including mathematical, technical and observational
skills, knowledge and understanding effectively in a wide range of practical
and other contexts.
• Show a comprehensive understanding of the relationships between
hypotheses, evidence, theories and explanations.
• Make effective use of models, including mathematical models, to explain
abstract ideas, phenomena, events and processes.
• Use a wide range of appropriate methods, sources of information and data
consistently, applying relevant skills to address scientific questions, solve
problems and test hypotheses.
• Analyse, interpret and critically evaluate a broad range of quantitative and
qualitative data and information.
• Evaluate information systematically to develop arguments and explanations
taking account of the limitations of the available evidence.
• Make reasoned judgments consistently and draw detailed, evidence-based
conclusions.
C
•
•
•
•
•
•
Recall secure knowledge and detailed understanding.
Select secure knowledge and detailed understanding.
Communicate secure knowledge and detailed understanding.
Demonstrate understanding of the nature of science.
Demonstrate understanding of laws.
Demonstrate understanding of principles and applications.
9
C
• Demonstrate understanding the relationship between science and society.
• Understand that scientific advances may have ethical implications, benefits
and risks.
• Use scientific and technical knowledge, terminology and conventions
appropriately.
• Show understanding of scale in terms of time, size and space.
• Apply appropriate skills, including mathematical, technical and observational
skills, knowledge and understanding effectively in a range of practical and
other contexts.
• Show an understanding of the relationships between hypotheses, evidence,
theories and explanations.
• Use models, including mathematical models, to describe abstract ideas,
phenomena, events and processes.
• Use a range of appropriate methods, sources of information and data
consistently, applying skills to address scientific questions, solve problems
and test hypotheses.
• Analyse, interpret and evaluate a range of quantitative and qualitative data
and information.
• Understand the limitations of evidence and use evidence and information to
develop arguments with supporting explanations.
• Draw conclusions based on the available evidence.
E
Recall limited knowledge and detailed understanding.
Select limited knowledge and detailed understanding.
Communicate limited knowledge and detailed understanding.
Recognise simple inter-relationships between physics and society.
Show a basic understanding that scientific advances may have ethical
implications, benefits and risks.
• Use limited scientific and technical knowledge, terminology and conventions
appropriately.
• Show some understanding of scale in terms of time, size and space.
•
•
•
•
•
• Apply skills, including limited mathematical, technical and observational
skills, knowledge and understanding effectively in a range of practical and
other contexts.
• Recognise and use hypotheses, evidence, theories and explanations.
• Explain straightforward models of phenomena, events and processes.
• Use a range of appropriate methods, sources of information and data
consistently, applying skills to address scientific questions, solve problems
and test hypotheses.
• Use a limited range of skills and techniques, they answer scientific
questions, solve straightforward problems and test ideas.
• Interpret and evaluate limited of quantitative and qualitative data and a
narrow range of sources.
• Draw elementary conclusions having collected limited evidence.
10
C ONTE NTS Biology Topics
Evolution by Natural Selection Grade Assessed WebQuest
• B1WQ Evolution by Natural Selection
• B1WQ Teacher Notes
• B1WQ Student Task Sheet
• B1WQ Exam-Buster Student Sheet
• B1WQ Stretch and Challenge Student Sheet
• B1WQ Grade Ladder AQA A
• B1WQ Grade Ladder AQA B
• B1WQ Grade Ladder Edexcel
• B1WQ Grade Ladder OCR Gateway
• B1WQ Grade Ladder OCR 21st Century – Biology only (Triple)
B1 Reflex: Acting without thinking Formative Assessment Task
• B1 Teacher Notes
• B1 Task Sheet (for all Exam boards)
• B1 Grade Ladder AQA A
• B1 Grade Ladder AQA B
• B1 Grade Ladder Edexcel
• B1 Grade Ladder OCR Gateway
• B1 Grade Ladder OCR 21st Century
B2 Vaccine Information Formative Assessment Task
• B2 Teacher Notes
• B2 Task Sheet (for all Exam boards)
• B2 Grade Ladder AQA A
• B2 Grade Ladder AQA B
• B2 Grade Ladder Edexcel –Biology (Triple) only
• B2 Grade Ladder OCR Gateway
• B2 Grade Ladder OCR 21st Century
B3 Discussions on Drugs Formative Assessment Task
• B3 Teacher Notes
• B3 Task Sheet (for all Exam boards)
• B3 Data Sheet (for all Exam boards)
• B3 Grade Ladder AQA A & B
• B3 Grade Ladder Edexcel
• B3 Grade Ladder OCR Gateway
• B3 Grade Ladder OCR 21st Century
11
B4 Extreme Environments Formative Assessment Task
• B4 Teacher Notes
• B4 Task Sheet (for all Exam boards)
• B4 Grade Ladder AQA A
• B4 Grade Ladder AQA B
• B4 Grade Ladder Edexcel
• B4 Grade Ladder OCR Gateway
Chemistry Topics
OMG! I’m Wearing a Dinosaur! Grade Assessed WebQuest
• C1WQ OMG! I’m Wearing a Dinosaur!
• C1WQ Teacher Notes
• C1WQ Student Task Sheet
• C1WQ Exam-Buster Student Sheet
• C1WQ Stretch and Challenge Student Sheet
• C1WQ Grade Ladder AQA A
• C1WQ Grade Ladder AQA B
• C1WQ Grade Ladder Edexcel
• C1WQ Grade Ladder OCR Gateway
• C1WQ Grade Ladder OCR 21st Century
C1 Earth’s Atmosphere Formative Assessment Task
• C1 Teacher Notes
• C1 Task Sheet (for all Exam Boards)
• C1 Grade Ladder AQA A
• C1 Grade Ladder AQA B
• C1 Grade Ladder Edexcel
• C1 Grade Ladder OCR Gateway
• C1 Grade Ladder OCR 21st Century
C2 Metal Alloys Formative Assessment Task
• C2 Teacher Notes
• C2 Task Sheet (for all Exam Boards)
• C1 Grade Ladder AQA A
• C2 Grade Ladder Edexcel
• C2 Grade Ladder OCR Gateway
C3 Comparing Fuels Formative Assessment Task
• C3 Teacher Notes
• C3 Task Sheet (for all Exam Boards)
• C3 Grade Ladder AQA A
• C3 Grade Ladder AQA B
• C3 Grade Ladder OCR Gateway
• C3 Grade Ladder OCR 21st Century – Core only
12
C4 Limestone Reactions Formative Assessment Task
• C4 Teacher Notes
• C4 Task Sheet (for all Exam Boards)
• C4 Grade Ladder AQA A
• C4 Grade Ladder AQA B
• C4 Grade Ladder Edexcel
• C4 Grade Ladder OCR Gateway
• C4 Grade Ladder OCR 21st Century
Contents: Physics Topics
The Big Bang and Beyond Grade Assessed WebQuest
• P1WQ The Big Bang and Beyond
• P1WQ Teacher Notes
• P1WQ Student Task Sheet
• P1WQ Exam-Buster Student Sheet
• P1WQ Stretch and Challenge Student Sheet
• P1WQ Atom Report Template
• P1WQ Grade Ladder AQA A
• P1WQ Grade Ladder AQA B
• P1WQ Grade Ladder Edexcel
• P1WQ Grade Ladder OCR Gateway
• P1WQ Grade Ladder OCR 21st Century
P1 Infra red Radiation Formative Assessment Task
• P1 Teacher Notes
• P1 Task Sheet (for all Exam Boards)
• P1 Grade Ladder AQA A
• P1 Grade Ladder Edexcel
• P1 Grade Ladder OCR Gateway
• P1 Grade Ladder OCR 21st Century
P2 Making Electricity Formative Assessment Task
• P2 Teacher Notes
• P2 Task Sheet (for all Exam Boards)
• P2 Grade Ladder AQA A
• P2 Grade Ladder AQA B
• P2 Grade Ladder Edexcel
• P2 Grade Ladder OCR Gateway
• P2 Grade Ladder OCR 21st Century
13
P3 Home Insulation Formative Assessment Task
• P3 Teacher Notes
• P3 Task Sheet (for all Exam Boards)
• P3 Grade Ladder AQA A
• P3 Grade Ladder AQA B
• P3 Grade Ladder Edexcel
• P3 Grade Ladder OCR Gateway
• P3 Grade Ladder OCR 21st Century
P4 Electromagnetic Spectrum Formative Assessment Task
• P4 Teacher Notes
• P4 Task Sheet (for all Exam Boards)
• P4 Grade Ladder AQA A
• P4 Grade Ladder AQA B
• P4 Grade Ladder Edexcel
• P4 Grade Ladder OCR Gateway
L INKS
T O
E XAM
B OARD
S PECIFICA TIONS We have attempted to write activities that match all the exam board specifications. This is
not always possible, but there are at least 12 of the 15 tasks in each book that will be
suitable for the exam board that you use.
Task Title
AQA A
AQA B
EDEXCEL
OCR B
Gateway
OCR A
21st
Century
B1WQ Evolution by Natural
Selection
B1.8
3.3.2.1
B1
B2f
B3.6
B1 Reflex: Acting without
thinking
B1.2
3.4.1.1
B2
B1d
B6.2
*BIO*
B2 Vaccine Information
B.1.1
3.5.1.2
B3 *BIO*
B1c
B2.1
B3 Discussions on Drugs
B1.3
3.5.1.1
B3
B1e
B2.3
B4 Extreme Environments
B1.4
3.3.2.1
B1
B2e
B3.1
C1WQ OMG! I’m Wearing a
Dinosaur!
C1.4
3.3.1.3
C1.5
C1ade
C2.2
C1 Earth’s Atmosphere
C1.7
3.3.1.2
C1
C1c
C1.1
C2 Metal Alloys
C1.3
-
C4
C2c
-
C3 Comparing Fuels
C1.4
3.4.2.2
C5
C1b
C1.2
C4 Limestone Reactions
C1.2
3.4.2.1
C2
C2b
C3.3
P1WQ Big Bang and Beyond
P1.5
3.3.1.1
P1.3
P2h
P1.1
P1 Infra red Radiation
P1.1
-
P1.6
P1b
P2.1
P2 Making Electricity
P1.4
3.4.2.3
P5
P2b
P3.2
P3 Home Insulation
P.1.1
3.5.3.2
P6
P1b
P3.3
P4 Electromagnetic Spectrum
P1.5
3.4.3.2
P2
P1c
P2.1
14